Shipboard cargo stowage construction



United States Patent [1113,537,41 4

[72] Inventor J m Goldlllll! Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix 5724 Bancroft Drive, New Orleans, Attorney-Wilkinson,Mawhinney and Theibault Louisiana 70122 [211 App]. No. 764,383 [22] Filed Oct. 2, 1968 1 [45] Patented Nov. 3, 1970 [54] SHIPBOARD CARGO STOWAGE CONSTRUCTION ABSTRACT: Where cargo bearing containers (pallets) are loaded one upon another in cargo cells in the holds of cargo- 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

carrying frelghters the supenncumbent weight, particularly [52] 0.5. CI. 114/72 whe e aggravated by running 5335, has been a frequent cause [5 Int. Cl. 25/00, of breaking down and destruction of both containers and car.

' 1363b 25/22 go, to which end a form of individual support of each pallet ofSearch from the structure of the cell is proposed as a pecies sug.

' 15 gestive of a genus in which species normally retracted supports on the pallets are projected into pallet-supportin rela- [56] References (med tion with the cell structure incident to lowering of the gallets UNITED STATES PATENTS into proximity to a next lower already set pallet whereby in- 2,247,l45 6/l94l Baldwin 114/72 dividual pallets are individually supported in the cells quite 3,380,422 4/1968 Bachko 1 14/72 independently of all other pallets.

Patentd Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet 1 of 4 FIG] INVENTOR JEROME L. GOLDMAN I w wawwjwmlx ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet 2 LIFTING FRAME INVENTOR JEROME L. GOLDMAN ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, N70

INVENTOR Sheet JEROME L. GOLDMAN wdmwmwmw HM ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,414

Sheet 4' 01'4 a II INVENTOR II I JEROME L. GOLDMAN wizbmqmmwxw BY ATTORNEYS SHIPBOARD CARGO STOWAGE CONSTRUCTION The present invention relates to shipboard cargo stowage construction and has for an object the provision in cargo cells which are adapted to receive cargo containing pallets a means for individually and separately supporting each pallet in the cellular structure so that the weight of upper pallets will not be borne by lower pallets and which will automatically provide support for each pallet as it is lowered into a cell without danger of the descending pallet crashing into a previously stowed load.

The invention also contemplates the construction of a novel form of pallet consisting of a sturdy floor structure with vertical end walls, the pallet being open at the sides except for some possible restraining straps which serve to keep the cargo from sliding off the pallet while it is being moved around in the warehouse and until the pallet enters the cellular space in the hold of the vessel, the ends of the pallet being framed with heavy structural reinforced cornerposts between which the ends of the pallets are enclosed with sturdy wire mesh screen material to keep the cargo from sliding off the ends.

A further object of the invention is to provide the novel form of pallet with provision in which the vertical cornerposts serve to mate with a lifting crane so that these novel pallets can be handled by the standard container cranes already common in many ports of the world.

The invention has for a further object to mount in the cornerposts normally retracted supporting members adapted to be projected automatically to cooperate with supporting ledges in the cell structure whereby each pallet takes its complete support from the cellular structure and not from subjacent pallets, the arrangement being that the supporting means are automatically triggered into supporting position by the approach of the pallet in a descending sense into proximity to an intermediately subjacent pallet already installed in the cell.

with the foregoing and other objects in view, the present in-v vention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away, of a ship hull showing a typical cargo hold illustrating 4- feet high and 8-feet high cargo bearing pallets loaded in the cellular structure into which the hull is divided;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on a larger scale through a cargo cell and three 4-feet high pallets, constructed according to the invention, in which the lowermost pallet is already fully set in position independently supported by the cell structure; the second or intermediate pallet approaches independent support, and the third highest pallet is in unset position poised above the intermediate pallet with the lower ends of its actuating pilot rods having just contacted the intermediate pallet;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating features of the invention in which a mixture of 4- and 8-feet high cargo pallets are involved with an 8-feet high pallet set on the tank top at the bottom of a cargo cell and two 4-feet high pallets set thereabove while an 8-feet high pallet still suspended by the lifting frame is in the act of being lowered into the stack;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a form of movable supporting and setting device constructed and operating in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is an edge elevational view, taken from the left side I of FIG. 4, with parts shown in section;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, ofa modified form of Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the present to FIG. 1, l0 designates the bottom shell of a boat hull, 1! the tank top and 12 the intermediate bottom tank.

The side shells are indicated at 13 with spaced inner shells l4 enclosing side tanks 15. The main deck is represented at 16 and a cellular construction is shown covered partially by the hatch covers 17. At 18 is represented the crane'rails. The cells are formed by longitudinal corrugated partition bulkheads 19 and transverse intersecting corrugated partition bulkheads 20.

Into the various cells are loaded the cargo-bearing pallets 21. According to present practice these pallets may be 4- or 8- feet high and according to the invention the pallets may be mixed in the cells and still achieve the objects of the invention.

As shown particularly in FIG. 3, cruciform vertical guide members 22, which are hollow, are placed at intersections of the longitudinal and transverse corrugated partition bulkheads 19 and 20. At ends of the cells may be placed the angled vertical guide members 23 which are also hollow.

These guide members 22 and 23 provide ways in which the pallets 21 may slide into and out of the various cells.

In the vertical guide members at substantially 4-feet vertical intervals are vertically enlongated slots 24 having lower supporting ledges 25 and above the ledges are placed inclined ejection members 26 which partially overlap the slots as best seen in FIG. 2.

Support members 27 are slidably mounted in the pallets adapted to be projected into the slots 24 to rest on the ledges 25 for individually supporting the various pallets from the vertical guide members and independently of lower pallets. The outer upper surfaces 28 of the support members 27 are inclined or rounded in order to cooperate with the inclined ejection members 26 which thus serve to automatically eject the support members from the slots 24 when the pallet is lifted upwardly in the cell. This function may also be performed by the weighted rods 32 as hereinafter described.

The form ofinventlon illustrated provides for the projection of the support members 27 by slidable plates 29 to which the members 27 are affixed and which plates slide on upper bearing members 30 or other parts of the pallet structure.

The rods 32 slide vertically in openings made in the upper bearing members 30 and in spaced lower bearing members 31 as shown more particularly in FIG. 4. The plates 29 are provided with inclined slots 34 in which cross pins 33 move up and down, the cross pins being carried by the upper ends of the vertical slidable rods 32.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 5, the pallets 29 may slide and be guided in upper channel or other members 40 of the pallet, which cooperate with the upper bearing members 30 to provide lateral ways in which the actuating plates 29 may be confined for a laterally slidable motion. This FIG. 5 also shows a form of device in which the pins 33 may be outturned upper free ends of the pilot rods 32.

FIG. 3 shows the support members 27 projectable out through openings in cornerposts of the pallets. As shown in FIG. 3, the pallets may comprise heavy structural cornerposts 35 erected on a sturdy floor structure 39, the posts being connected crosswise by crossbars 36 at their upper ends. Sturdy wire mesh screen material 37 encloses the ends and keeps the cargo from sliding off the ends of the pallets. The pallets may be open at the sides except for some possible restraining straps 38 which keep the cargo from sliding off the pallet until the pallet enters the cellular space in the hold ofthe vessel.

In operation, referring to FIG. 2, the lowermost pallet has been finally set in supported position, the support members 27 having been fully projected and are shown to be resting upon the ledges 25 of the corner columns. The intermediate pallet is approaching final position with its support members 27 partially extending into the slots 24 and poised slightly above the supporting ledges 25, with the pins 33 short of uppermost positions in the slots 34.

In this FIG. 2 the uppermost pallet is still suspended by its lifting frame with the supporting members in fully retracted positions within the pallet and not yet in horizontal alignment with the slots 24. The pins 33 are in the bottoms of slots 34,

and the lower ends of the pilot rods have just contacted the upper parts of the intermediate pallet.

These three positions are for illustrative purposes only. The lowermost pallet is in true final position. When its lifting frame was detached and the full weight of the lowermost pallet set free, the pallet descended relatively to its pilot rods 32 which became stationary when their lower ends contacted the top 11 of the bottom tank 12. Hence, the plates 29 descended on the pins 33 and the plates 29 and supporting members 27 were projected into the slots 24 and onto the ledges 25 so that the weight of the lowermost pallet was absorbed by the column 22 and not permitted to descend onto the tank top.

In a similar manner when the lower ends ofthc pilot rods 32 of the intermediate pallet contacted the lowermost installed pallet, these pilot rods became arrested from further downward movement and the relative downward movement of the intermediate pallet on its pilot rods caused projection of the supporting members 27 and the independent support of the middle pallet.

ln HO. 2 the uppermost pallet is still supported by its lifting frame and the heavy pilot rods 32 are hanging down in their lowermost positions relatively to the uppermost pallet with the pins in the lowermost ends of the slots 34 so that, as shown, the plates 29 and supporting members 27 are fully retracted occupying positions wholly within the confines of the uppermost pallet.

Now when the lifting frame further lowers the uppermost pallet, the lower ends of pilot rods 32 contact now stationary intermediate pallet and are stopped in downward motion but the uppermost pallet slides down on the rods 32 and projects and sets the supporting members 27 on ledges 25.

When removing a pallet upwardly the weights of the rods 32 will assert themselves as the pallet is raised, thus drawing down the pins 33 and due to the inclined slots 34 shifting the plates 29 and the support members 27 inwardly clear of the slots 24 so as not to cause any interference with thewalls of the vertical guide members. in any case in which the pilot rods 32 would tend to bind in the bearing members 30, 31, the rounded noses 28 of the support member 27 will encounter the inclined ejection members 26 and be safely guided out of the slots 24.

Referring more particularly to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the heavy pilot rods 32a are freely supported and guided for vertical sliding movement in the pallets and are pinned at their upper ends by pins 41 in slots 42 made in the lower arms 43 of bellcrank-type levers pivoted for movement in a substantially vertical plane, as indicated at 44, on brackets 45 carried on the pallets or cornerposts thereof. The upper arms 46 of the levers are slotted at upper end portions thereof, as indicated at 47, to slidably accommodate pins 48 on the inner, preferably forked, ends of the support members 27a In FIG. 6 the weight of the freely suspended pilot rod 32a has rocked the bellcrank lever clockwise around the center 44 to a position where the support member 27a is withdrawn or retracted. However, when, due to further lowering of the pallet, the rods 32a have encountered the tank top or prestowed pallet, as shown in FlG.7, the rods are restrained from further downward movement and will consequently exert upward thrust on the bellcrank lever 43, 46 as the pallet continues to descend in the cell, causing the support members 270 to be projected into supporting position for the pallet. When the pallet is lifted out of the cell the freed rods 32a will descend by gravity in the pallet and restore the parts to the position of HO. 6 where the support members 27a are withdrawn.

As pallet is lifted, the weight of the steel bar 32a pulls down on bellcrank 43, 46 automatically retracting pallet support member 274 clear of the cell posts.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, flexible coiled wire tubes 49 are fixedly mounted in a substantially vertical attitude in the pallets ,with the upper ends of the tubes 49 directed right-angularly outward toward the sliding support members 27b In the tubes 49 are slidably mounted flexible wires 50 the upper ends of which are fastened to the support members 2717 and the lower ends to plungers 51 vertically slidable in clyinders 52 mounted fixedly on lower portions of the pallets. Coil springs 53 in the cylinders 52 are wound about the wires 50 and abut at their opposite ends against upper sides of the plungers 51 and the upper cylinder heads 54 which are perforated for the entrance and sliding of the flexible wires 50. The pilot rods 32b are affixed to the plungers 51.

As the pallet is lowered into guides in the cell, the pilot rods 32B upon contacting the tank top or prestowed pallet will be arrested in further descent causing the plungers 51 to be pushed upwardly and the wires 50 to be pushed upwards through the flexible tubes, pushing support members 2712 to extended positions through slots 24 and onto supporting ledges 25 whereby to support entire load of the individual pallet and cargo.

As the pallet is lifted, the springs 53 force the plungers 51 and pilot rods 32!; downwardly and pull the wires 50 down through the tubes 49 to retractthe support members 27b in the claims the word pallets is to be understood, as cargocarrying pallets, containers, platforms, decks, tween decks or any other support for the cargo.

Although I have disclosed herein the best forms of the in vention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

lclaim:

1. In a cargo ship:

a. at least one cargo cell in the ships hold;

b. slotted corner guides in the ce l;

c. supporting ledges in the guides at lower portionsof the slots;

d. cargo-carrying pallets slidable up and down in the guides into and out of the cell;

e. support members laterally slidable in the pallets and projectable into the slots and onto the ledges for supporting the pallets one above another individually in the cell;

f. pilot rods slidably mounted on the pallets for substantially vertical movement and having lower ends projecting below the pallets for contact with the bottom of the cell or next lower pallet to arrest further downward movement of the rods while the pallet continues downward movement; and

g. means coupled between the upper end portions of the pilot rods and support members for converting the continuing vertical downward movement of the pallet into horizontal projecting movements of the support members.

2. The combination of Claim 1 in which said last-named means comprises:

h. plates affixed to the support members and having inclined slots therein; and

i. pins on the upper portions of the pilot rods movabl'y engaging the incline d slots in the plates.

3. The combination of Claim 1 in which the pilot rods possess substantial weight whereby on lifting of a pallet the supports for the pilot rods are withdrawn and the pilot rods drop down relatively to the pallet thus retracting the support members out of the slots and freeing the pallet for complete removal from the cell.

4. In a cargo ship:

a. at least one cargo cell in the ship's hold;

b. slotted corner guides in the cell;

c. supporting ledges in the guides at lower portions of the slots;

d. cargo-carrying pallets slidable up and down in the guides into and out of the cell;

e. support members laterally slidable in the pallets and projectable into the slots and onto the ledges for supporting the pallets one above another individually in the cell;

f. means for so projecting the support members on arrival of the pallet near the bottom of the cell or near the next lower previously installed pallet;

. means for retracting the support members out of the slots incident to the lifting of the pallets out of the cell comprising; and

. inclined walls in the corner guides spaced above the ledges in position to be encountered by the support members when the pallet is lifted.

. In a device of the character described:

. a cargo cell in the hold ofa ship;

. cargo-receiving pallets movable up and down in the cell;

means between the cell and each pallet for supporting the pallets from the cell individually and without resting any weight on under pallets;

. pilot members freely slidable in the pallets and having dependent lower ends adapted to encounter the bottom of the cell or a lower installed pallet for arresting the downward movements of the pilot members while the pallet relatively descends thereon;

slidable support members in the pallets; and means between the pilot members and support members for projecting the support members incident to such relative movement between the pallet and pilot members.

. In a device ofthe character described:

a cargo cell in the hold of a ship;

.cargo-recelving pallets movable up and down in the cell;

. means between the cell and each pallet for supporting the pallets from the cell individually and without resting any weight on under pallets comprising;

. pilot members slidably mounted on the pallets and having parts positioned to engage and be arrested in motion by underlying objects in the cell;

. support means on the pallets movable into and out of pallet-supporting position with relation to the cell structure; and

. operative connections between said pilot members and support means for translating the thrust developing in said pilot members incident to the arrest in motion thereof into actuation of the support means into palletsupporting position.

member.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 further comprising means for biasing the flexible member to a position in which the support means is normally out of pallet-supporting position.

10. In a cargo ship:

a. structural members defining at least one cargo cell;

b. supporting ledges in the members;

cargo-carrying pallets slidable up and down in the members;

d. normally retracted support members movably mounted in the pallets and projectable onto the ledges for supporting the pallets individually in the cell;

. pilot members mounted for relative substantially upright movement in the pallets having lower end portions disposed to engage parts'on the next lower set pallet member to arrest further downward movement of the pilot members while the pallet member continues further downward movement; and

. means coupled between the upper end portions of the pilot members and support members for converting the continuing downward movement of the pallet into projecting movements of the support members onto the ledges. 

